Level 3 · Intermediate
就 vs 才: earlier or later than expected
Time / Amount + 就 / 才 + Verb
就 (jiù) and 才 (cái) both sit before the verb and add your attitude about the timing. 就 says "that early / that fast / that little": 他六点就起床了 "he was up by six (already!)". 才 says "that late / that slow / only then": 他十点才起床 "he didn't get up until ten".
A handy tell: 就 sentences about the past usually take 了, but 才 sentences don't — 十点才起床了 sounds wrong. 就 also means "only, just": 我就要一杯水 "I just want a glass of water".
Examples
他六点就起床了。
他六點就起床了。
tā liù diǎn jiù qǐ chuáng le
He was already up at six.
他十点才起床。
他十點才起床。
tā shí diǎn cái qǐ chuáng
He didn't get up until ten.
他昨天很晚才睡觉。
他昨天很晚才睡覺。
tā zuó tiān hěn wǎn cái shuì jiào
He didn't go to sleep until very late yesterday.
我就要一杯水。
wǒ jiù yào yī bēi shuǐ
I just want a glass of water.
Common mistakes
✗ 他十点才起床了。
✓ 他十点才起床。
才 sentences don't take 了 — drop it.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like A Student's Morning (Part 1), Afternoon in the Sun (Part 3), Living to One Hundred inside the Literate Chinese app.
